Sivion – Group Therapy

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals with a group or team and Sivion comes with an album after a three-year hiatus to bring his unique style of music to the people. If there is anyone that I can truly claim is an underground artist, it would be Sivion, for he continues to put out music whether or not he gains a wide audience. I first heard of this gentleman way back in ‘06 on his classic Spring Of The Songbird album, and he continued the springtime/butterfly theme in his music for a few years. This is the most drastic change from that theme that I’ve witnessed from him in some time.

As I listened to this album, I tried to see the title come through the album conceptually, and honestly, I didn’t get it from the content. However, as I looked at the track listing, with the numerous features and producers, the theme hit me in that way whether that was intended or not. Sporting every producer from S1, to Tha Kracken!, then every featured artist from Propaganda (whose verse took me back to his Tunnel Rats days) to Sintax the Terrific, and even having four DJ’s scratching on some tracks, this album was very unique.

The album starts off with the track “Ladies and Gentleman.” Just him rhyming behind a head-nodding yet smooth beat by The Are, introducing himself as well as what and Who he does this for. The next track that caught my attention is appropriately titled “Watch Out,”which is what I didn’t do before hearing this beat! The way PICNITY ME starts this is one of the biggest things that stood out on this album, and the topic came through as well. The feature that stood out to me, though not necessarily for the rhymes, is Zane One, because I haven’t heard from her in some time. The beat is definitely fit for her as well. Other tracks that stood out to me were “Free Your Soul,” “We Got What You Want,” and “One Two,” among some others.

I have to say that while listening to the album at first, before I even checked the track listing, I continued to hear features from artists who I haven’t heard from in years. People like Sintax, Kaboose, and Manchild were such a blessing to hear on the track when you don’t hear from people for a long time, and then they pop up and still impact a song as they used to is a testament to God’s faithfulness in keeping them even when we don’t see or hear from them.

Sivion is clearly a man that doesn’t emphasize trying to fit a mold. For some, that may be seen as too heavy a price to pay. This isn’t an album that grabs the attention immediately for most people today, for even I had to patiently listen to the album to be free from the current production bias that has developed from the type of production I’m used to hearing right now. Once I did this, I began to see the pure value in the creating of beats and how clear the drums hit and how seamlessly the samples mixed. I began to see how Sivion made music instead of just hearing rapping on tracks, for the way he rapped switching his tone and singing nestled nicely in many beats. The placements of the features were many, yet it made SENSE, which can often be critical. My own twin brother is a producer and the kinds of beats on Sivion’s album reminded me of his style of production from years past till even now (www.DoubleAHitMusic.com shameless plug :D).

For those who love the classic boom bap sound, this album will be a true breath of fresh air. Therapy, if you will. This album fits his built-in audience, so he may not grab the larger fan base of CHH, however this shouldn’t be a deterrent, nor should this be looked down upon. There IS an audience for this, and it’s boom bap that isn’t just old school and is actually more relevant than realized. While this album doesn’t necessarily stand out as big as I’d hoped, Sivion has brought an acceptable offering of good music. So, gather around friends and get to know the God who offers the truest form of therapy; eternal life for all.

About The Author

Lamar is one of the reviewers Jam The Hype, primarily focused on artist album reviews. Since 2009, he's reviewed or interviewed artists such as Sho Baraka, Dwayne Tryumf, Mali Music, Thi'sl, Marcus Hall, Army, and more. He previously volunteered his reviewing services for Trailblazin' Ministries and their website. In 2010, he graduated with a Bachelors in Computer Information Systems with a concentration in Video Game Development and is moving towards a career in game design.

2 Comments

Great review, Lamar. And I appreciate you listening and sharing your thoughts. You’re right about the album concept. My aim wasn’t to try to tie the Group Therapy concept to the album through interludes or anything that would be considered gimmicky. The fact of the matter, was that I enlisted a group of amazing artists, producers, djs, etc……..all of which should be heard more than they currently are, regardless of their current status (as many are larger than myself). That’s the Group Therapy…..all of us uniting for the common passion of sharing our love for this mighty God we serve. So I’m glad it hit you once you saw the track listing. That WAS the intended purpose of how the concept would be displayed. Today it seems that the need to show continuity of concept is more important than having a collection of beautiful works, which is what made some of my favorite classic jazz albums dope (Coletrane, Miles, Rollins, Parker, Hancock, etc.). That’s my background and major influence for why I even love music at all…….and probably why I’ll never be mainstream unless the market changes again to where the underground IS mainstream like it used to be. Lol. But all in all, this is the song God put in my heart and I’m just humbled that so many people are moved by it when they hear my projects. Many blessings and thanks again for showing love, fam. – Sivion